Pakistan ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on Tuesday, refuted the reports regarding him skipping the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka by sharing a video of himself practising with the red ball.
Taking to Twitter, Shaheen Shah Afridi shared a video of his bowling practice on the sidelines of his T20 Blast stint with Nottinghamshire and denied the reports of him missing the Test series without directly issuing a statement.
“Red ball has a different vibe. It’s 🕰️! #TestMatch 🇵🇰🏏” wrote Shaheen on Twitter.
Red ball has a different vibe. It’s 🕰️!#TestMatch 🇵🇰🏏 pic.twitter.com/MLhKwZNLuk
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) June 13, 2023
Earlier, a local news outlet on Tuesday, reported that Shaheen Shah Afridi is likely to skip the Test series against Sri Lanka, citing concerns over his workload management prior to the upcoming ODI World Cup.
Shaheen’s video appears to counter these allegations, however, and shows that he intends to take part in the Tests.
Notably, Shaheen Shah Afridi is currently in England for his T20 Blast stint with Nottinghamshire and excelled for the club, taking 13 wickets in nine matches.
He also played a pivotal role with the bat for Nottinghamshire and entertained fans with his batting skills.
It is pertinent to mention that Shaheen Shah Afridi last played a Test match in 2022 against Sri Lanka.
The left-arm pacer sustained a knee injury while fielding during the first Test and missed the remaining Test of the series.
He then missed the ODI series against the Netherlands, Asia Cup 2022 and the home series against New Zealand and England before finally making his return in the T20 World Cup.
Shaheen’s progress has been continually observed by the team’s management, particularly director Mickey Arthur, who despite doubts about Shaheen’s workload stated that the pacer needs to increase his workload in order to be better prepared for Test cricket.
Shaheen’s bowling loads are regularly evaluated, Arthur said, to ensure that he is ready for the lengthier format.
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